Solar Eclipse March

The first and only known march written to commemorate a total Solar Eclipse, this march was performed by eight community bands across the U.S. and Canada within a week of the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. This delightful march has won the smiles and thumbs-up from all bands that play it and all audiences that hear it.

Description

On August 21, 2017, all of North America was treated to its first total solar eclipse since 1979 (touching only the Northwest United States and Canada), and the last one until 2024 (going from Mexico, from Texas to Maine, and into Canada's Maritime provinces). The path of totality in 2017 stretched from Oregon to South Carolina, but people as far away as Canada and Mexico were able to see 50-75% of the eclipse.

In an email conversation with the former director of the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Community Band, the composer discovered that no march or other piece of music had been written to commemorate this or any other solar eclipse.

The composing muse immediately struck, and the result was this march, written and scored in a period of three days, printed and ready to play in six.

After offering this march to the band community, we wound up with eight bands across the U.S. and Canad scheduling this march to be performed in public within a week of the total solar eclipse of 2017.

Here's a video of the Mississippi Community Symphonic Band playing this march in our August 2017 concert:

Here is an audio file of the Second Winds Community Band of McMinnville, OR playing the march:

Transpositions Available for Each Part in the
ENSEMBLE CONCERT BOOKS SERIES

This chart describes each transposition available for each voice in the Ensemble Concert Books Series, along with a list of most of the instruments that can be appropriate for playing that part. This will give you a good idea of which books to order, based on which instruments you have. The preferred instruments for each part are highlighted in red.

SOPRANO 1:

In C. This part includes both the high octave, suitable for flute, piccolo, and violin, and the low octave, suitable for oboe or brass instruments in C.

In Bb. This part is suitable for trumpets, (soprano) clarinets, and soprano saxophones.

In Eb. This part is suitable for and voiced for the Eb soprano clarinet. It can also be played by an Eb sopranino saxophone. If necessary, it can be played by an alto saxophone, but it will not be in the right register, and it would be good if the alto sax player could play it an octave above the written notes.

In F. This part will be available only on request. Please allow six weeks for us to produce it. It is available in the event that a French horn or F trumpet is the only instrument you have to play this voice, and it will require a horn player with a good high range to play it.

SOPRANO 2:

In C. This part is voiced for oboe and violin. It is possible for a flute to play it as well, but this part will frequently be in the lower range for a flute and therefore might lose some power.

In Bb. This is the part to get for (soprano) clarinets, trumpets, and soprano saxophones.

In Eb. This part is voiced for alto saxophones and alto clarinets. It can also be played by an Eb soprano clarinet, but should be played an octave below the written notes.

In F. For French Horns.

In Alto Clef. For violas. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks for production.

ALTO:

In C. For violin, viola, or any other C-pitched instrument playing treble clef n the alto range.

In Bb. For soprano clarinets. It can also be played by a trumpet, as it has higher-octave cue notes for those notes that go below the range of a trumpet. It can also be played by tenor saxophones and treble clef baritone horn, but that player should play an octave above the written notes.

In Eb. For alto saxophones, and alto clarinets.

In F. For French Horns.

In Alto Clef. For violas, and those rare (and strange) trombone players who prefer to read alto clef. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks to produce it.

In Bass Clef. For trombones and baritone B.C. players. This part will usually be in the higher end of the range of these players, but not uncomfortably so.

TENOR:

In Bb. This is for tenor saxophones and baritone horns who play treble clef.

In Eb. This can be played by alto saxophones, although it will be somewhat low in their register.

In F. For French Horns. This is not the preferred instrument for this part, but they CAN play it.

In Tenor Clef. For violas, and others who prefer tenor clef. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks to produce it.

In Bass Clef. For trombones, baritone horns, and cellos. It can also be played by bassoons when needed.

BASS:

In Bb. For Bass clarinet and contra-bass clarinet. Also for Bass Saxophone and brass band type tuba/bass players who read Bb treble clef bass parts.

In Eb. For baritone saxophones and Eb Contra-alto Clarinets.

In F. For experienced horn players only. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks to produce it.

In Bass Clef - High. For string bass players.

In Bass Clef - Low - for tubas and bassoons.

MISCELLANEOUS PARTS:

Piano. If you cannot fill in all five other parts, adding a piano player may give you all the extra harmony notes you need.

Drum Set. While not required, adding a drum set to your performances, especially when you are using ten or more players, will definitely enhance the presentation.